How To Appropriately And Effectively Recommend Books

One of most glorious parts of the bookworm life is forcing people to read your favourite books.

Especially the painful ones. I mean, if I have to suffer, you should totally have to suffer with me. IT’S JUST LOGIC. Recommending books is a huge part the book blogger’s life, right?! Half the reason we blog is so we can talk wildly about books we liked (or didn’t like) and we are gargantuan professionals at creative recommendation tactics.

OR ARE WE???

There are so many ways to drag unsuspecting passersby into your favourite bookish fandom...but what’s the most effective way??? How can we be sure our recommendations are getting through??? What is the best way to force our obsession onto the universe???

Luckily for you I am here to (A) list some incredibly effective and creative ways to recommend books that are 100% foolproof, and (B) guaranteed not to fail, because (C) it’s SCIENCE, and (D) when am I ever wrong? Never. Ergo all of these will definitely work.

BUY YOUR VICTIM THE BOOK.

This way, obviously, requires money because while I love the novel The Book Thief, I’m not so fond of actually, you know THIEVING BOOKS IN REAL LIFE. But regardless! If you buy someone a book they totally feel beholden to read it. * Plus they have NO EXCUSE NOT TO READ IT. It’s right there. Sitting in their shelves. Staring at them. Judging them if they don’t read it.

Never underestimate the power of a judgy book.

* Unless they are ME whose sister bought her Wicked for her birthday and it took her 12 months to read it and then she DNF’d it because it was horribly boring and she is still avoiding the topic with said sister. If said sister randomly reads this post, then hahhahaah #dead

TALK ABOUT THE BOOK CONSTANTLY WITHOUT PAUSE FOR BASICALLY…FOREVER.

This one is quite fun, actually, because it means you get to talk about your FAVOURITE BOOK IN THE UNIVERSE (and honestly, what is more glorious???) and eventually, once you’ve blathered on enough, your victim will just read the book to shut you up.

And, pfft, don’t worry about waiting for “the opportune moment” to bring it up. Just talk. Now. All the time. Here, here, let me give you an example.

Victim: It’s a nice day! Me: Yes, such nice blue sky JUST LIKE THE NAME OF BLUE SARGENT IN THE RAVEN CYCLE. Victim: Um, yeah. So I’m hungry. Me: Let’s eat some yogurt JUST LIKE BLUE SARGENT WOULD IN THE RAVEN CYCLE. Victim: I feel like you’er a little obsessed with that series… Me: It is true, but I’m only as obessed as BLUE SARGENT IN THE RAVEN CYCLE WAS WITH HER RAVEN BOYS.

This recommendation method is guaranteed to make conversation more interesting, too, by the way! You definitely won’t loose friends, hahah, of course not.

POSSIBLE REACTION FROM PEOPLE, OF COURSE, BUT JUST KEEP AT IT. BE STRONG IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY.

TAILOR YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS TO YOUR VICTIM’S PREFERENCES

As much as I, personally, want to recommend The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater to absolutely every human, alien, fish, and sweet potato pie I come across….I DON’T DO IT. It is the best series of the world, obviously. But I will concede that it won’t suit everyone. * So if a human pineapple says to me “I don’t like magical realism”, I’m not going to slap them in the face with The Raven Cycle.

It means a LOT to me when someone says “Hey Cait, I KNOW YOU LIKE SASS AND STABBING…so have you heard of [insert book here]”. Because (A) it shows me that they know what kind of books I like, which seriously makes me feel squishily happy, and (B) there is actually a good chance I’m going to like this book because they’ve pitched it to me with emphasis on elements I’ll like.

I get told to read books ALL THE TIME that I 100000% know I won’t like. So it makes me rather turned off random recommendations. And this is entirely the reason I never check my Goodreads recommendations. I have like 400+ of them and most are from people who don’t know me, so, eh, not trusting them.

* Although, if you don’t like it, I’m just putting it out there that you MIGHT have been, like, dropped on your head as a child, or maybe perhaps you’re a pinecone in disguise as a human and that’s what’s wrong with you.

FORCE YOUR VICTIM TO BE CURIOUS BY QUIETLY PLASTERING YOUR LIFE WITH YOUR FAVOURITE BOOKS.

I subtly slather everything in my favourite books. I mention them on twitter, in copious blog posts, I take photos of them and plaster them all over my instagram account. I put the book IN YOUR FACE all the time so you can’t help but notice it. So I’m not screaming at you to read it…I’m just leaving it there.

And that’s basically like leaving the last single lonely cupcake on the table and not saying “eat it”, not saying “don’t eat it”. What’s going to happen to that cupcake??? Hmm??? THEY’LL EAT IT.

With this way, I’m not so much recommending the series, I am just saying “HELLO. LOOK I AM A RABID FAN OF THIS SERIES”. It piques attention. Victims might start thinking “Okay, but why does she always talk about that book???? What is it anyway???”

And BOOM. You win.

THREATEN VICTIM’S LIFE IF THEY DON’T READ IT

All I’m saying is, a few threats can sometimes do the trick too. Nothing drastic like “I’ll cut you, fiend” because let’s be polite, okay? Just calm threats. Nice threats.

Feasible Threat Options:

If you don’t read it, I’ll set my dragons on you.

Read it or else I’m packing you in a suitcase, posting you to Jupiter, and leaving you there with no snacks.

See the size of my TBR over there? Do you wan that “accidentally” falling on your head?

There will be no birthday/christmas presents EVER AGAIN until you read it?

I’m not saying your tea is poisoned….but I also didn’t say it wasn’t poisoned.

Do you remember my friend, Bob, who never read my favourite book?? No? Oh, that’s because I HAVE ERASED HIM FROM THE UNIVERSE.

THROW BOOK AT VICTIM COPIOUSLY

This is actually not IDEAL because what if you damage the book??? That would be a suffocating tragedy. But if you, perhaps, have an extra copy, you can pelt the book at your victim. If it’s a hardcover be very very very careful. You don’t want to tear the dust jacket.

SHRIEK ALL THE TIME, I’M NOT EVEN KIDDING, ALL. THE. TIME. AND USE PLENTY OF ALL CAPS WHILE YOU’RE AT IT

I’m super good at marketing. Honestly, I’ll be snapped up and hired and paid billions any day now because my marketing is just THAT effective. ALL CAPS. Never underestimate the power! I frequently trot onto twitter or goodreads and utilise my handy dandy capslock key and just SHOUT ABOUT WHAT BOOK YOU SHOULD BE READING.

PROMISE TO BE THERE FOR THE VICTIM WHEN THEY ENTER THE INTENSE FEELS AND EMOTIONS OF THE FANDOM.

Some people are just precious little cucumbers, too delicate for this world, okay? And they must be coddled a little. Sometimes a person will put off starting a fandom because they’re afraid of all the intense emotions after watching you be so rabid. So BE THERE FOR THEM. Promise you are there for messaging and chatting and you will send them calming gifs of cute kitties if they get too attacked by all the feels.

This can totally be a lie, by the way.

Because, let’s face the truth: it is MUCH more fun to watch your victim slowly descend into the shrieking flames of your favourite fandom and watch them suffer as you did. #evillaugh

BASICALLY ME PROMISING TO BE THERE AFTER FORCING SOMEONE INTO A FEELSY FANDOM:

#sokind

Some of us just like to watch the world burn, yes?

how do YOU recommend books?!? do you use any of my highly effective and glorious methods?? is there a book/series/fandom that you’re constantly hounding people to try?? SHARE ALL THE THINGS WITH ME IN THE COMMENTS, PINEAPPLE FIENDS.

Comments

LOVE this. I really need to try a few of these methods to get some friends to read books I’ve been hounding them about for ages. Like the Winner’s Curse trilogy (soooo goooddd). I will forever flail about that series and aggressively shove it in people faces when they ask, “Melissa, what’s a good book?” But if that doesn’t work, well, death threats are another strategy. XD

Ohhhh I will join you with flailing over The Winner’s Curse (IT’S TOTALLY UNDERRATED SOMETIMES OMG). But yes, if kind recommendations don’t pan out, heh, we can totally go death/threats/glares and other fun things. :’)

I basically throw anything by Cassandra Clare onto people… because I just love her writing so much, haha. (and there’s like a 90% chance they’ll fall hopelessly in love with her writing too.) And, I mean, if I have to suffer bookish agony of waiting for the next in the series, then at least I’m not alone. 😉 I don’t push books as much as I do TV shows, though (I KNOW, THE SHAAAAAME) but I endlessly rec Supernatural to people. So far I’ve gotten one person addicted to it, so that’s a start, haha.

That is a GLORIOUS idea, Kara, although I suspect if you throw Lady Midnight or City of Heavenly Fire YOU WILL ACTUALLY KILL SOMEONE but eh. We do what we must for sake of the books. (But seriously though afjdksalfd her writing. <33)

I've gotten two people addicted to Supernatural and omg, watching them spin into the downward psychotic frenzy that is the fandom?? GLORIOUS AND BEAUTIFUL. 10/10 WOULD RECOMMEND GETTING PEOPLE TO SUFFER AGAIN.

I like most of your methods. You did, however, forget one of my favourites, which is ‘drag the reccommendee to the library, push them to the right shelf, grab their hand and make the hand grab the book, then take them to the checkouts desk and stand there threateningly until they check out the book.’ or ‘steal their library card (aka identity), go to the library for them, get the book, give it to them, and take it back when they’re done’ This is actually what I do with my brother because otherwise he wouldn’t read #lazy. I am always recommending Sabriel to you because it features a sassy cat, a courageous but out of her depth heroine and a living plane which is basically like a dragon. I also finished the Inside of Out yesterday, which was a comedy with mozarella sticks about how to be a good friend and LGBTQ ally!

That is a tremendous method and definitely deserves to be on this list. Tbh someone should write a nice kind handbook for all these tips because there’s NOTHING BETTER than violently recommending books. :’)

AND I SWEAR I WILL READ SABRIEL.😂 Although I’m like a little nervous because what if I don’t like it??? Then you might fly across the oceans and steal my dragons and take my cake and glare at me and I WILL BE SAD. (But I am totally going to try it, I promise. In fact, I’m going to go see if my library has the audiobook RIGHT NOW…)

I basically have one book friend IRL and I just keep giving my books to her so she’ll have to read them. Sometimes I wonder where my books are and then I remember that I forced them in her haha!
And I keep trying to give books to my mom to read and now she has a big pile of books next to her bed to read. Coincidentally I went into her bedroom yesterday and stole my books back! Now my shelves are full again haha…
Sometimes you just need to talk about your faves!

My IRL reading friend with same tastes as mine call me his personal book recommender, so I’m doing something right.

I used to also throw Richelle Mead down people’s throats and then waited for their shrieks of delight and forever gratitude… Off course that was before Soundless and Glittering Court ever happened…. Now I’m just waiting for her to recover from her temporary insanity and to be back to the style I love so much…

Good thing there’s Ilona Andrews. Those two Never disappoint. Even when they decided to kill one of my favorite characters… It was a glorious death…

Hhahaha, omg, I’m sorry for you about Richelle Mead! I’ve only read Soundless and The Glittering Court and hated both of them so bad…but people keep telling me I have to still try VA before I quit on her altogether. SO I WILL EVENTUALLY.

OMG THAT IS SUCH A GOOD METHOD TOO!! I am very impatient for my nephew to be old enough so I can start stuffing Lemony Snicket in his face. (He’s 5 so….I’ll probably give him a few more years. I am kind.)

The easiest way to force people to read the books that you recommend is to join a book club. 😉
Sometimes if I read a blog post and the blogger mentions liking something, I’ll drop them a recommendation in the comments.
Great photo of the Raven King! 🙂

I’m read The Raven Cycle series and I blame Cait! I finished them a few days ago; I LOVED THEM!!! I was just a little disappointed in how it ended, because I wanted more information in the end about what happened in the future. I AM SO SAD! NO MORE BLUE AND GANSEY AND RONAN AND ADAM AND MAURA AND CALLA AND HENRY AND PERSEPHONE AND ORLA AND….I love all those muffins so much!! Best decision ever! Thank you for the constant recommendations and the great techniques you used that I am going to use in the future to trick people into reading them so they can drown in happiness and then thank me! Have a great day Cait! xoxo ❤️

AHHH IT MAKES ME VERY VERY VERY HAPPY THAT YOU LOVED THEM. <3 I think the ending was meant to leave us with questions? I read on Maggie Stiefvater's tumblr that she wanted us to end wanting MORE. And I think she 10000% succeeded.😍 BUT OMG I COULD TOTALLY HAVE READ 98539 MORE BOOKS IN THE SERIES HONESTLY. <33

YES YES YES to the personalised recommendations. I get most of mine from my sister, so then I always read them. (I totally have a choice, right? right? maybe?) But I love it when someone I know is like ‘here. have this book of fabulousness because I know what you like to read and this is it’. Also, these recommendations make me very inclined to read said book (eh? what threat? I’m never threatened.) The cupcake example made me hungry. (side note: I literally just started blue lily, lily blue before I read this and argh! the excitement!)

Oh sisters are fiendish things with recommendations, right??! It’s like “hmm do I read this and live? or not read it AND DIE PROBABLY??” < -- At least that was my sister and I. She's not so much a bookworm anymore so I'm safe.😂
AFDSLKAFD I HOPE YOU LIKE BLUE LILY. I THINK IT'S MY FAVOURITE OF THE SERIES. *shrieks*

😂😂 in all seriousness, yes I am known in the class for screaming at other people books to read. Especially during math because… math. I am getting everyone to read Marie Lu and understand her awesomeness, as well as Leigh Barudgo and Amy Zhang and Sarah J. Maas (but of course the first two books of TOG ONLY).

And you must be SO PROUD OF ME CAIT! I FOUND THE CROWN’S GAME IN THE BOOKSTORE AND I BOUGHT IT AND I WILL BEGIN SOAKING UP ITS MAJESTICNESS IN A BIT 👑 I swear this time I will really get to reading and finishing it because I’ve been wanting to read it since you reviewed it here.

^^ AND THAT IS HOW CAIT RECOMMENDS BOOKS. Very very effectively. My TBR list is super super close to the books you’ve read! 😜

I usually opt for method #3 but I have been known to take the approach of method 7 when I’m super passionate about the book. I’m constantly trying to get people to read John Corey Whaley’s books but apart from that I just try and nicely recommend books that I think the person will like 🙂

Normally, I try to tailor my recommendations to the reader, but I have been known to talk non-stop about Outlander by Diana Gabaldon and Traveler by Dennis W. Green. 🙂 I’m sure people want me to shut up about those two books, but I can’t because they are just lovely and amazing.

Hahaha. THE POWER OF CAPS. I couldn’t agree more! Another hilarious post, Cait! I used quite a lot of tactics stated here to drag my friends along too. And when they finally start reading, I’ll give a wicked grin and say, “Welcome to the world.”

I don’t usually recommend books, because even though I am an avid reader, all my friends…hate reading. I do not understand them at all.
I have read a lot of books based on your recommendations, and the only one I can think of that I didn’t like was The Impostor Queen. I loved Walk on Earth a Stranger, The Girl from Everywhere, The Crown’s Game, Front Lines…
There are like a THOUSAND books I want my friends to read so we can hush about them together. The only series one of my friends has ever read that I liked was the Lunar Chronicles, and she hated it!! Like how even!
So I just sit here, without any friends that read, so I never get to recommend books.
Great post!

Omg I understand, I do. *pats shoulder* I know exactly zero bookworms in real life (except for my nephew/niece…but they’re like PRESCHOOLERS so I’m not exactly chatting about The Raven Cycle with them. Yet. Soon, I assume. Ahem.) I DON’T KNOW WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS UNIVERSE AND ALL THEIR ANTI-READING-NESS. But that’s why I blog.😂 So I can throw virtual books.

Ohhh, I’m glad you MOSTLY like my recommendations!! We must have pretty similar taste, then, right?!? *flails*

PROMISE TO BE THERE ahahahah, I’m pretty sure most of us terrible people who recommend life-ruining books are just quietly snickering while their victim drowns in their #feels. We’re all horrible. Love this post. Cait, I’ve been meaning to say this for a while but I genuinely admire how you managed to create such a super unique blog that just oozes originality and personality. Like, I already have to read only one sentence and can recognize that you wrote it. Weird. That’s skill! Way to go, you’re tha bomb.

I can confirm that your family WILL IN FACT TRY TO SHOVE YOU INTO A LOG IF YOU USE METHOD 2 TOO MUCH. This should not stop you though. It is by far my favorite method, I have to say. I would be afraid of method 6 though. Not for the safety of the person I would be throwing the book at, but for the safety of my book. I would leave that method to trained book-throwing professionals to avoid any harm to innocent books. Of all of these, I think method 3 is the nicest, and mostly likely to work, because you ( sadly ) have a bunch of delicate flowers in this world who would not respond well to method 5. If you ask me, THEY NEED TO TOUGHEN UP. But generally these delicate flowers do NOT tend to ask my opinion, which is probably why they’re so sadly delicate to begin with. If only they would talk to us bookworms more. And read our books. I truly think we could help them.

I KNOW. ISN’T IT A SHAME??? We have to put up with so much persecution when all we’re really trying to do is ENRICH THEIR LIVES. *heavy sigh* And yes safety of books is a very real thing. Maybe though if you had multiple copies? You could have a specific-book-throwing copy. When, like, we’re all famous and rich and can AFFORD TO HAVE BOOKS SPECIFICALLY TO THROW. Any day now that will happen….aaany day. The world does need to toughen up though, omg.

These are good methods – I shall employ them in my mission to make the world read >.<

(If you wish, you may join my bookish army, but I'm aware you have an army of your own – and some world domination plans to get on with if you wanna be queen of everything and all that. Still, we can share the odd foot-soldiers, no?)

And I am glad your mission is to make the world read. :’) You are an inspiration amongst mortals. Although, pfft, I’m ruling the entire world here. Just working on the final details, naturally. I do not share. *takes over Jupiter and eats it*

Omg summarising books is HARD. It is like the WORST SOMETIMES. Online I do it kind of randomly, but usually it’s like “there’s stabbing and they like cheese bread” and that works. But IRL I’m like “Um…so there’s a prince and a kingdom and … um… a war” and it ends up sounding like the stupidest book of ever. *wild sobbing*

OH I WANT TO READ THE DIABOLIC. Although that’s 100% on cover love.😂 But you said sass and stabbing so hello I am in.

My go to way of recommending is simply to constantly talk about the book but it does not always work hehe. At this rate I’m gonna get the Neil Gaiman Graveyard Book audiobook and play it around the house hoping it will finally get my roommate’s interest. Great post Cait. Happy reading!

One time I wanted a friend of mine to read some books. So when she and her mom came to house-sit for us, I knew this was an opportune time because there would be endless amounts of boredom. So I set out the books I suggested for her on my bed and left a note. And she read some of them! Huzzah!

I usually tailor my book recs to people also. Not everyone likes the same thing, so when I know a person would really like something because its in their reading tastes I’ll recommend it. Unless it’s like The Princess Bride or something then I am more like #7 and I do rather like #5. . . XD I might have to try some of these other methods you’ve mentioned. And that gif for #5 is wildly hilarious!

Ohhhh that is an awesome way to recommend! AND YAY THAT IT WORKED TOO!! I think leaving books around the house strategically for people to trip on would also be a good idea, tbh. *goes to add it to the list*

And tailoring recs is the BEST WAY I think. Because people get turned off if they like, say, contemporary, but I’m only recommending fantasy. And I get that! But some books are blanket recommendations. :’) Did I mention I have not read The Princess Bride yet? *gulps nervously* I WILL SOON THOUGH TRUST ME NOW.

I hardly ever recommend books to people, I am surrounded around non-readers. AAAAAAHHHHHHHH! Help me. My favorite books though are the Throne of Glass books by Sarah J. Maas. Whenever someone asks me who/what my favorite book/author is they look at me with a blank stare, and have no idea what that is. I stopped trying to get people to read it, plus IT”S MY PRECIOUS*me crouched in corner hugging ToG series*. I do like method #5. “I’ll cut you, fiend,” made me laugh so much. Hah! I also like “You see my TBR over there, do you want it to “accidentally” fall on your head.” I recently succeeded on recommending a series to my sister. By suggest I mean forced. Now she is reading an awesome Wonder Woman comic book series by Brian Azzerello and Cliff Chiang (It’s awesome, you should read it too). I hate waiting for people to read something though. I’m a pretty quick reader and can finish three books in three days. My mom is a slow reader but she can read an Outlander book in a week (I think she is secretly a super hero). You got me to read the Raven Cycle series. Right now I am reading The Raven King. I want to get into Artemus’s mind, I need to know things, but I don’t know what yet. I also need to know if they find Glendower. It’s been 3 books so far they have to find him in the last book. THEY HAVE TOO!

I know exactly zero bookworms in real life too, Leah. IT IS SUCH A TRAGEDY. And I actually hate it when people ask my favourite book/author, especially if they’re not readers. Like why do you want to know????? You don’t like reading???? You won’t recognise it?? ARGH.😂 My older sister asks and I’m always like “BUT YOU WON’T RECOGNISE IT SO WHAT’S THE POINT”.😂

Ohhhh, I do want to read this Wonder Woman comic. I’ll see if my library has it. 😉

Omg YES. I demand a spin-off serious about Artemus. ACTUALLY HONESTLY I WANT SPIN-OFF SERIES ABOUT EVERYONE. *wild sobbing* Good luck with the finale! I THINK IT’S BEAUTIFUL. <3 And also ajdfaksldfj I'm so so glad you decided to read them. MY JOB HERE IS DONE.

Number 2. I borrowed the Lightning Thief and The sea of monsters for my brother (at his request) from the library and then they sat there for a few days too long. I wanted him to pick them up and start reading straight away. So a couple of days ago I kept asking him when he was going to read them. I didn’t mean to ask him so many times I just did. And he actually started reading the Lightning Theif after I said it that last time. Probably to shut me up but hey. 🙂

Also with number 1 I should totally do that more often.

The sad thing is for me with one friend I feel like I can’t tell her about these books that I love because she hates books and threatens to burn them. 🙁 I told her that Eragon (the movie) was based off a book and that I had read it and she gave me the evil death stare. I can’t help it.

I’m like 99% sure the biggest reason people take our recommendations is to shut us up.😂 ALTHOUGH you have a better sibling than me because omg I’m forever after my sister to read my favourite book AND SHE JUST DOESN’T. IT’S SUCH A TRAGEDY OMG. More book thumping is in need, obviously.

omg your friend hates book?!?? That is so so sad. *sends you cupcakes of encouragement* I know exactly zero bookworms IRL so I do feel that pain. And in my early teens my friends used to tease me for reading *SIGHS* These mortals we have to put up with. I AM HERE FOR YOU THOUGH, ANNA. We can be bookish together.

These days I can barely imagine what my life would be without the online bookish community. Even though not everyone I meet loves books as much as I do there are lots of people online. That makes me happy. 😀

Ugh, no, the Wicked book is DEATHLY BORING. Well, I mean, in my opinion.😂 I haven’t seen the music but I’ve heard they’re quite different??? Which is weird??? The book focuses on POLITICS and it’s quite tedious to read when I just wanted to read about witchy school stuff. But anyway. Still try it. 😉 You might do better than I did hahhahah.

That winchesters gif xD I usually just shriek/howl/talk/cry/fangirling non stop in front of said victim. While shoving the said book under their noses screaming “READ IT”. It works. Usually. They’re forced to read it if they want me to shut up xD but yeah, I also pay attenttion to what the said person reading preferences. IT’S CRUCIAL TO BUILD TRUST IN BOOK-RECOMMENDING AREA.

That sounds like SUCH a good, subtle and kind method. :’) I’m sure the universe appreciates you immensely! I’m positive of it! (And I’m also sure half the time people just read our favourite books to shut us up ahhahhhah. OH DEAR.)

If it makes you feel better, I definetly read The Raven Boys because you were “failing” about it all over the internet, haha. I’m glad I did! I really enjoyed them, although I haven’t got to the last one yet.

The best is when someone ASKS for a recommendation, so I don’t have to give unsolicited ones.

OMG GOOD. My work here is done. :’) I shall continue flailing all over the internet about them for evermore, probably. *whispers* I also think the last one is brilliant, but several fans disagree. But pfft. I am right, OF COURSE. *quietly piles it on your head*

And YES. Waiting to be asked is really good because there’s so much more chance the person cares AND will go read the book.

I pretty much threatened my cousins life the other day if she did not buy hard copy editions of some particular books. And Yep I talks about them…. and bring them up randomly in conversation, there is generally some connection, sometimes rather random. I even use characters and scenes in good books as examples to make points in bible study lessons sometimes!

The books I recommend most often are Tolkien’s books because how dare anyone not like them! And Nadine Brandes out of time series, Speaking of that you can now Pre-Order the last book!!!!!! A Time To Rise!!!!!!! Release date may be months away but you can already order it!!!!!!!! The Hobbit and A Time to die are the only books I can remember the first sentence of too… “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit” (I could keep going) and “Once there was a day when only God knew they day you would die.”

You are an EXCELLENT cousin, there is no doubt about it. :’) I’ve basically threatened my sister to read The Scorpio Races AND SHE STILL WON’T SO OMG YOU MUST BE MORE CONVINCING THEN ME. *wild sobbing* But ahhhh can you believe I still haven’t read the Hobbit?! THE SHAME I KNOW. It’s on my TBR for this year.😂

And oh! oh! I know the first sentences of some of my favourite books too. SO MUCH BOOKISH NERDOM IT IS GLORIOUS.

I tend to just shove books into my friend’s faces and scream READ THIS THIS IS EXCELLENT until they relent in annoyance. And, surprise surprise, they tend to actually like what I’ve recommended. So I don’t know why they’re so stubborn and don’t read it until months after I’ve recommended it in the first place.

I LOVE recommending books to people! But it’s especially hard for me because my best friends in real life all reads but not enough. They read super famous books, most likely the ones that have been made into movies like The Hunger Games and Divergent of sort but I always tell them that there are SO MANY GREAT BOOKS out there! Buying the books would be so easier but I’m already broke from buying the books for myself :’) so I sent them the e-copy instead. Or I lend them. I definitely use your methods of plastering my life with my favorite books! When I went crazy for Illuminae, I put it on my twitter and instagram and I flooded their snapchat stories with my pictures of the book and yadda yadda. They finally asked me what book it was and if they could borrow it. SCORED. Also, recommending book is sometimes easy for me because they always ask me for recommendations. Sad truth, they’re not on goodreads (How could they??? I have no idea, goodreads is EVERYTHING). This is a great post Cait (as always) and I might steal some of your methods and incorporate them with mine later 😛

ohhh you are SUCH a good friend!! Particularly to lend to them.😂 But honestly I have zero people IRL who like to read so bitter weeping for me. I have to throw all my recommendation efforts onto my internet friends. But yes, omg, how do people EXIST without goodreads??? IT IS LIKE THE ULTIMATE AND GREATEST SITE ON THE INTERNET, OMGGGG, IT IS A MUST FOR A FULL AND ENRICHED LIFE.

Hah, I love all the gifs in this one! I do like recommending books to people but it CAN be difficult when they read really different things from you, so I try and find a middle ground. Plus, I like getting recommendations and books as gifts so it’s great!

I always love recommending books to my friends. I love the Under the Never Sky series and I blackmailed my sister into reading it… I don’t even remember what tactics I ended up using… But then, she read the books and loved them and she discussed them with me and then I was so proud to tell her “I TOLD YOU SO!” because she thought that she was going to hate the series. So blackmailing is another way to recommend books and it works!

Also: “See the size of my TBR over there? Do you want that “accidentally” falling on your head?” – SOMEONE MAKE ME A TSHIRT OR MUG WITH THIS ON

I think you’re doing a valiant job of promoting The Raven Cylce despite me still not having read it yet 😳 I will forever buy Tiger’s Curse as a present for friends – in fact, one time I was so determined to get my sister to read it that I followed her around the house reading it to her … It didn’t go down too well 😶

THAT IS A GLORIOUS IDEA. Definitely needs to be a design *nods* Or “read this book or I’ll cut you” < -- also so subtle and kind and family friendly. It'll definitely happen. I'll put it on my design to-do list.
DUDE. C'MON NOW. PLEASE YOU MUST READ THE RAVEN CYCLE. AFTER ALL I'VE DONE FOR YOU. (And by "done for you" I mean my fabulous, you know, just presence.) The cover for Tiger's Curse is everything though omg.

Pfff why wouldn’t anyone want to read The Raven Cycle?! They haven’t truly lived until they read it!
But omg I’m loving all these methods and I’m also loving the font ‘method’ is written in, ITS SO PRETTY. I always feel rather afraid of recommending books to people though because what if they don’t like them?! I don’t think I could stand it if someone spoke ill of my precious papery darlings. Maybe then I would have to follow your advice and poison their tea… 😉

THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I’M SAYING. What is LIFE if the Raven Boys aren’t in it??!? And omg I do understand that fear of what-if-they-don’t-like-them…because it’s kind of terrifying because THESE FAVOURITE BOOKS ARE PART OF OUR SOULS AHHAHHAHH.

For some reason, select readers always comment about me liking a particular book and not to hurt them because they didn’t. A few people do this and I can’t figure out why people seem to think I’m violent or at 36, I am plotting their demise. I’ve decided to work with this now, because it’s easier than trying to calm readers down, so now I just casually yell out stuff like, READ THIS BOOK, I’LL KILL YOU.

Job well done Kelly, job well done.
But I loathe Goodreads recommendations. I can’t remember any book that’s been randomly thrown at me and I’ve wanted to read it. All the updates they’ve had just to change fonts, why can we still not turn that off!

It is actually easier to do the READ IT NOW OR I’LL CUT/KILL/MAIM YOU because it’s just less exhausting to be violent and threatening for some reason. But we all know you’re a soft squishable marshmallow truly, Kelly, don’t worry.

Ugh, I wish I could turn off the GR recommendation feature. IT’s SO ANNOYING. I’ve somehow stopped getting notified for them, but if I look at the button it’s like “hello there are 5000+ recommendations you’re ignoring”. *cries and runs away*

Okay Cait, I’m going to recommend you a book that I’ve probably mentioned in my comments before (I don’t remember because I talk about it a lot). I know you love death, and assassins, and knives and stabbing people literally/figuratively. You also love royalty (which makes sense since you are one), so that means you also love court intrigue, and secrets, and power struggles…Also, did I mention heartbreak, and friendship (that doesn’t go smoothly all the time), and chase scenes, and STRONG FEMALE CHARACTERS??? YEAH DO I HAVE YOU NOW? ARE YOU SITTING ON THE EDGE OF YOUR SEAT? ARE YOU WONDERING WHAT THE TITLE OF THIS BEAUTIFUL TRILOGY (written by an Indie author with slight spelling and grammar mistakes that are totally ignorable because the story and characters TRUMP ALL THINGS) IS????? GUESS WHAT? I’M NOT GOING TO TELL YOU UNLESS YOU COMMENT BACK AND MAKE AN UNBREAKABLE VOW PROMISING ON YOUR DRAGON’S MOUNTAIN OF GOLD THAT YOU’LL READ IT!!! Haaahaaahaaaa *rubs hands together maliciously*

Omg, Sakina. I FEEL THE INTENSE PRESSURE OF THIS.🙈🙊 I want to promise that I’ll read it, but if it’s indie then chances are I won’t be able to library it, right? And unless I get books given to me or library I rarely get a chance to read them.😭 But I could keep an eye out for it?! Whatever it is?? I AM CURIOUS.😂

Light and Shadow trilogy by Moira Katson! The first book, Shadowborn, is free on iBooks and Amazon! I bought the other 2 for under $3 each from iBooks. IT”S HONESTLY SO GOOD! My favourite series I read last year and not enough people talk about it! Hopefully you’ll get time to read it! *fingers crossed*

These are such great tips! Generally, I just talk about the books I love over and over and over until they give in so that I’ll stop talking about it! lol But I also like to tailor my recs to what I know people already like, so that they’ll take more recommendations from me in the future!
~Sara

Fabulous post! I loved it. I’ve personally built fan bases around a few of my favorite books so I have a little experience ;p.
I like just constantly talking about it and recommending it. I can just go on and on about my favorite books. It got to the point where my friend would ask me a question and I’d just be like,” You’d know the answer to that if you would just read CINDER already.”
I usually tailor my recommendations to people as well. Even if it’s a genre they wouldn’t normally read I’ll find stuff they do like in it.
I’ll have to try out that “I’ll kill you” method. It seems like it’d be very effective.
I always say I’ll be there for you and your feels. But then I just stand there grinning evilly and laughing.
As a runner, are you excited for The Fever Code?? I know I am!!! It doesn’t help that I listened to James Dashner talk about it in April( I went to an event of his.) and I got a sneak peak for it when I went to B-fest. I want to see more baby Newt and Thomas. And Chuck!!
Or how about the Cursed Child? I’m pretty excited for that! I’m trying not to keep my expectations too high though, cause I don’t want to be disappointed. I’m more excited for fantastic beasts and where to find them in November than Cursed Child.

Omggggg YES. I love just constantly mentioning them. :’) Slipping it into everyday conversations and omg MAKING REFERENCES. That is the best. Although always better when someone actually get the reference and can admire my genius. ahem.😂

The “I’ll kill you” method is basically fullproof. Because, I mean, if they don’t read it, at least you dont’ have to worry about endless efforts of convincing them. Just a hole in the backyard and a brief afternoon of exercise. Done.

YES I AM EXCITED FOR THE FEVER CODE AHHHHH. Although I feel like I might need to reread The Maze Runner books first? eeek. But then it’s a prequel right so maybe I should re-read them AFTER.

Although I confess: I’m not at all interested in the Cursed Child.😂 I only read harry Potter last year…and like I like it!! But it bothers me that they’ve got like all the new actors and stuff for The Cursed Child. It doesn’t fit together in my head, so I guess I’m not really interested? Fantastic Beasts looks fun! But I haven’t seen A SINGLE HARRY POTTER MOVIE YET OMG SLAY ME. (I love the soundtrack though. :’)

Method #6: Or you could pelt them with the hardcover WITHOUT the dust jacket on, and thereby minimize risk of damaging the book and maximize potential pain to your victim should they choose to continue to not read said book. I mean, those corners be pointy 🙂

I was halfway finished with The Raven Boys when I put The Dream Thieves on hold at the library. And the first thing I did when I finished TRB was text my cousin to tell her that she had to read it. She still hasn’t 🙁 BUT I SHALL NOT GIVE UP. She always caves in to my recommendations eventually, and I’m determined to get her to read either The Raven Cycle series or The Scorpio Races (possibly my favorite book ever). Perhaps I shall borrow one of your threats….

Omg I totally get that feeling of finishing-a-good-book-and-immediately-needing-to-convince-everyone-to-read-it. BEST FEELING EVER. I’m still threatening my sister’s life so she’ll read The Scorpio Races. It’s been 4 years. *sobs* THE SCORPIO RACES IS THE BOOK OF LIFE.

I usually stick with methods 1 and 2. Because if I buy the book for them, they have literally NO excuse. Though my friends do not always listen? Buying the book also makes me feel less nervous- like, if they hate the damn thing, then FINE because they didn’t waste their own money so maybe they won’t hate me *quite* as much? I don’t know, a girl can dream. I also do this to my mom, especially when I want her to watch a book-to-movie with me. It’s like “hey mom, here’s a selfish present from me, happy birthday!”

Val threatened me many times until I finally read The Book Thief. When she came to my house, the book would magically appear somewhere easily accessible to me. Yet she was basically like you and/or that kid in the sand when I did read it. Just saying.

And you know the books I always push on people, I think. (Aside from THG, of course.) I also always try to push watching The 100 on people. That’s always fun.

I agree that buying is pretty much FLAWLESS because they have it in their hands, right???? There can be no reason they don’t devour it immediately. (Unless they are cantankerous beasts and you must stand over them with a fly swat and swat them if they stop reading. We do what we must.) But omg it is TERRIFYING when you recommend a book and they hate it.🙈🙊 LIKE ARE MY TASTES THAT BAD??? AM I AN ALIEN??? AM I A CUCUMBER?? HELP ME.

Oh oh I want to watch The 100 because of your frequent flailing!! I just feel like I’m really behind and it’d be daunting to catch up.😂 Plus the only reason I don’t die because of my TBR is that I don’t watch much TV….bUT I SERIOUSLY WANT TO WATCH THE 100.

I certainly tailor my recommendations to the person. Doesn’t necessarily mean that I recommend different books to different people, but I tell them different things. Person is short and likes short person memes: Share the first liner that is something short people would relate to. (and people who like Jane Austen) When they say they like it, recommend the book. Person is asking what your favourite fantasy creature to ride is: Tell them about all the different kinds of steeds in a book and other weird random things that might appeal to them. (and those are the same book)

I could try to recommend the Ilyon Chronicles by Jaye L. Knight to you by saying that there’s torture and stabbing and death and dragons and siblings. but I won’t bother since you said you don’t read Indie Christian books. Even though they’re about the most awesome books ever.

I mostly recommend Me Before You and Fangirl to my friends, just because I love both books and hold them dearly to my heart. Me Before You wrecked me, and I like to mention it and Fangirl in my every blog post haha! A few of my friends have been successfully convinced to read Me Before You and it’s safe to say they were as miserable when they finished reading it. Evil plot is accomplished. Said friends have read Fangirl too and found it entertaining. And, perhaps it’s surprising but I have one friend who might need my encouragement to read HP books. I never thought I would’ve needed to recommend the series because why wouldn’t you have read it?
Next plot: to find another heartbreaking book and recommend it to the same friends.

OMG FANGIRL IS SO SO GOOD I SHALL JOIN YOU IN FLAILING OVER THAT FOR NEARLY FOREVER. But um…hahhh, I am one of those weird fiends who took forever to read Harry Potter! I only got onto it when my friends starting threatening my life too. Ah we bookworms. Always there for each other. :’)

But at least you didn’t get onto it recently right? I’m sorry if my story there offended you! It’s never late to join the HP fandom, though. I just didn’t think /I/ will be the one who would be convincing them to read.

This is 100000% accurate and effective. Your methods have succeeded in getting me to read the first three books in the Raven Cycle, among other things (I’m still waiting on the fourth book from the library). Also, I like your threats–they’re subtle but scary, and If I were at the receiving end of those threats, I would definitely read the book you were recommending.

Another way you could get the person to read the book is to have it stalk them. Place copies in their car and their bed and at random places in their house, so everywhere they turn, there’s another copy staring at them. (Obviously this will take copious amounts of money, but shhhhh.)

I could read a whole book of your threats . . . the Jupiter one is my favorite. I definitely think the first method would be most effective though. Sometimes I just wander around Barnes & Noble and think about all the books I would buy for everyone (and myself, of course) if I was suddenly rich.

Why thank you. *bows majestically* It’ll no doubt be in my memoir. An entire chapter on the art of creative threatening. Definite needful life skills.
Omg but when I’m rich and famous…ahhhh, ALL THE BOOKS I WILL BUY.

I have done ALL of these things. Except the book-throwing part, but I’ll have to try that sometime. My go-to shove-in-everyone’s-faces book is Code Name Verity, and I think I’ve forced all of my friends to read it at this point. But I finished The Crown’s Game this morning and I think pretty much all I’ve been doing since then is shrieking at my friends to read it. It was so amazing!

My friends forbade me to recommend books to them because I make their TBR pile too big. Nah, I’m doing it anyway. They can’t resist me. I start with the best piece, the male character, in an overly hyped voice and then I fire at them some hardcore superlatives and BAM they’re sold. It’s my personal magic and I love using it because them I’m not the only one with big TBR. Muhahaha 😀

Omg😂 You are clearly a spectacular recommender then, right?!? I get threatened a lot because I’m constantly recommending books…but ’tis the life and we bookworms must risk many things for the sake of our books.

LOL, I had to laugh. Man, I don’t know how to persuade anyone to read the books I like… I like weird books, and for the most part I am afraid they won’t like the books I like… and well you know… I don’t want anyone telling me they didn’t like a book I loved at least as much as I loved… am I selfish? Unreasonable? Perhaps… oh well.

BY THE WAY… DID YOU READ THE COIN LOCKER BABIES YET? YOU DIDN’T? HOW COULD YOU? READ IT RAD IT READ IT READ IT READ IT

Well, I generally persuade internet people!!😂 I don’t know any bookworms in real life, honestly….well my sister used to read, but even threatening her with tossing hardcovers and tea poisoned doesn’t help. *cries bitterly* But OMG being told someone doesn’t like your favourite boook is the WORST. So I get that! I sometimes vary between forcing books at everyone and also hiding them.

While I love recommending books, I actually get really terrified when people tell me they are currently reading them?!! It starts out with, “OH NO, what if they hate the book? Then they’ll think my reading taste is trash & then they’ll never read the books I like. And we will never be friends. Oh dear I hope they like the book.” At the same time, I also like to make sure that the book I’m recommending is a book I think they’ll enjoy! I don’t particularly like generic recommendations because then I’ll get recommended like an adult book when I am almost strictly YA. But yes! If I think they’ll like a certain book & I happen to have it, I’ll definitely let them borrow it so I can stop pegging them about it!

Omg I actually agree!😂 I get terrified that they’ll hate it and then think that I have horrible taste. GAH. But yes, tailored recommendations are the best! I hate it when people don’t even know me and just say “read this book”…like, dude, my TBR is HUGE AS IS. I have to be a little more restrictive than just reading everything gahhhh.

We were discussing how diseases are going to take over the world in my AP Huaman Geography class and then I may or may not of started babbling about the 5th Wave and corrupted my teacher into reading it back in February. Success! And he actually liked it and later wished horrible things on me for not warning her the last book wasn’t out yet. (whoops) I also constantly try to corrupt my friends into reading books through Method 3 a lot (99,1% effectiveness). But then again threatening people with hardback Harry Potter books also works wonders on the non-reader species. 🙂

OH you are an EPIC recommender. :’) You know you’ve done well when the victim returns screaming/crying/howling at you. JOB HERE IS WELL DONE HUZZAH. (And omg hardcover Harry Potters would be quite terrifying.)

So this is very applicable to me right now because my best friend just read Cinder because of me (FINALLY!) and immediately had to go to the library after she was done to get her hands on Scarlet. (And now she’s given in and agreed to read The Starbound Trilogy after she’s done with this series.) I LOVE DRAGGING PEOPLE DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE WITH ME. ALL THE TIME.

Hahaha this is a hilarious list – I love it! I really want to try and throw my favorite book at someone now and see what happens. Like, my friend walks by and I’m just like OMG HERE HAVE A HARDCOVER COPY OF TIGER’S CURSE I’M GOING TO THROW IT AT YOUR HEAD SO WATCH OUT. It’s perfect.

This is so funny!! I have done some of these things. One book that has a family connection I sent to LOTS of people via Amazon Prime.. It’s always interesting when you hear nothing about it for several months (I have realized that many people do not read books…!!??) and then a year later they mention they started reading it! Basically I have realized silence means “I am not reading this yet…”

Also the CAPS made me laugh because I wrote “COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN” when recommending a book on personal Facebook recommendations and then had someone repeat this back to me (said outloud like it was in caps) when I start talking about the book again IRL.

I’m a bit fickle when it comes to random book recommendations. Sometimes, I’ll trust the people of the internet when they all shout in all caps that EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ THIS BOOK. Other times, I’ll ignore all of the hype until someone I know who has similar taste in books as me, like my younger sister, tells me I should read said book.

So many people on the internet have been gushing about The Raven Boys series so I’ve put it on my TBR list even though I haven’t bothered to read what it’s about. I’m a bit worried I won’t like it as much as the rest of the internet seems to now that you’ve said it is magical realism. I read a bit of Latin American magical realism back in college and was not a fan. I’ve avoided reading anything described as magical realism ever since. Who knows, maybe The Raven Boys will cure me of my distaste for magical realism.

I tooootally get that actually!😂 Sometimes if people recommend a book TOO much then I get turned off just because I’m tired of hearing about it hahaha. Ahem. But usually I cave because I’m super curious. Zomg all the curious.

Buuuuuuuut, The Raven Boys is like MY PRECIOUS CHILD. <3 So I'm completely biased to think everyone should try it at least. 😉 But it's not Latin American, if that helps.

*hi fives* You are on the path of BRILLIANCE to getting everyone to read you recommendations. I don’t actually understand why people don’t like being thumped in the face with books, though??? Like why? Sheesh. We’re just being helpful.

I’m not saying I did any of these, I’m just saying they work. It’s possible I use these methods to make everyone read Simon VS. But I’m not admitting to anything that could get me in trouble so. Just saying.

Definitely want to read The Raven Cycle now so I guess your methods work YAY FOR YOU! I talk about books 24/7 anyway. Once I made my dad and brothers sit down while I told him about every book on my bookcase – so theres that. Hahaha.

Haha. XD I’ve bought books for my friends and ranted about them. Those are my prime methods. I did finish the Raven Boys recently, but I have mixed opinions about it. I’d really like your insight about the later books.